Improvement in machines for trimming percussion-caps



Au 324 Ex FOWLER & FRENCH.

Trimming Percussion Caps.

Patented July 17. H366 witnesses 723W /a/Z d UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE..

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR TRIMMING PERCUSSION-CAPS.

Hpecilieation forming part oi' Letters Patent No. 56,492, dated .lulyl?, lslt,

To ull Iirl/om it `may concern Be it known that we, JAMES l'l. FOWLERand A.J.] `Iti1NCII,ol" \Vaterbury, in the county of New llaven andState of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Machine forMilling` Percussion-Caps; and we do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable othersskilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompany ing drawings, forming part oi' this specification, in which-Figure 1 represents a sectional plan or top view ol' this invention.Fig. 2 isa horizontal section ot' the same, taken in the plane indicatedby the line .r .r, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a front elevation o1' the same.Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section of the same, the plane ot'section being indicated by the line 1/ y, Fig. 3.

Similar letters oiA reference indicate like parts.

lhis invention consists in a feed-plate pro vided with a series ot'feedholes which are arranged in curved lines to correspond to the curve.oi the revolving conveyor, in such a manner that by means of saidfeed-plate a number oi' percussion-caps can be fed simul taneously intothe holes of the revolving con veyer without stopping the motion of themachine.

It consists, further, in the arrangement of a revolving eonveyer, incombination with the trimming-dies and tool, in such a manner that bysaid conveyor one cap after the other is brought over the trinnningdies,which take hold ol' the same and expose it to the action of the tool orknife.

It consists, also, in the arra'mgement ol" a spring, in combination withthe revolving conveyer and trinnning-dics, in .such a manner that bysaid spring' the caps are held in the proper position to enable them toenter the trimming-dies.

lt consists` further, in the arrangement of a. plunger, in combinationwith the conveyer and trimmingdies, in such a manner that by the actionot' said plunger the caps are forced down into the trimming-dies at theproper intervals Itconsists,also, in the arrangement ofa pair oftrimming-dies to which a rapid revolving Iwhich motion is imparted, andwhich operate, in eombination with areciprocating knil'e, against. theedge of the cap to be trimmed, so thattheoperation of trimming iseieeted with ease and rapidity.

It consists, iinally, in giving to the cuttingedge of the trimming knifean upwardly-inclined position, in such a manner that said cutting-edgebegins to take eti'eet on thc highest part of the edge ol' the cap, andto cut the same down gradually until it is even and smooth all round.

A represents a trame, of cast-iron or any other suitable material ol'suitable strength and shape to support the working.;` parts o1' ourmachine. On the frame is placed theeonveyer B, which is composed oi' allal disk which revolves on a vertical pivot, u, seenred in the frame A.Said convever is provided with a series of holes, l1, near itseireumlerence, which serve. to receive the caps to be trimmed,and anintermittent revolving motion isimpartedtoitbyaslide, anda dog, ctwhiehgears into ratchet-teeth d, eut into the periphery of theconveying-disk. The slide e moves in suitable guides on the platform ol'the frame. A, and the requisite reeilnocating motion is imparted to itbythe action ol' a cam, e, ou an oscillating lever,f. A suitablestoppa.\\'l,{/, prevents thebacliward motion ot' the eonveyer.

The holes in the conveyor are iilled with caps by means of a feed-plate,(j, whieh is provided with a series olf holes, h, arranged in curvedlines1 to correspond to the curve on the holes Il are situated. Saidl'eedplate moves between suitable. guides on the upper surface of thetrame A, and it is provided with pins or teeth i, which rise from itsupper surface, and which are acted upon by a pin or tootlnj, projectingfrom a disk, 1.', which revolves freely on a stud, I, secured in theupright part ofthe frame A. An intermittent revolving motion is impartedto said disk by the action of a pawl, m, which is secured to the uppersurface of the sliding doge, and which gears in a ratchet-wheel, u,connected to the disk r by a hollow shaft, or in any other suitablemanner. The number olA teeth ol' this ratcliet-wheel is equal to thenumber ol' holes in each row of the feed-plate, and the distance. of thepins or teeth t'. in the feedplate is equal to that between said rowsol'holes in thct'ectlplate, so that t'or each revolution of thc disk l1 thefeed-platiis caused lo inovc thc proper distance to brine` a tres-h rowot' holes` ot the toed-plates over the hoh-s in the couvevcr. rl`lnIcaps contained in the holes ot' thc l'ccdplate arc thus allowed to dropdown automaticall)Y into the holes` in the convelver, and b v providing`.1 number ol' leed-plates the con- \'e ver can be kept rontinuallvcharged with caps without cvcr stoppingl thc motion ol' the machine.

The cam 1', which produces the oscillating; motion ot the lever ismounted on a` shalt, o, to which a revolving; motion isin1partedb5 meansot` a belt, p, which extends from a pulleuv, q, on the drivingvshaftround a. pulle v,s, 011 ahollow shaft, t, which connects, by abevelgear, n r, with thtI shat't o.

From thtl outside or t'aee ot the cam c projects an eccentric wristpin,1r, which earriesa. slide, a', that tits into a slot in th(` head of theplunger b'. This plunger moves up and down in a tubular socket formed atthe end of an arm, c', which also t'orms the fulcrum t'or the lever j',and its motion is so timed that on its` downward stroke it passesthrough one ot the holes ol` the convcvcr. The conveyor l is supportedby a dat plate, l), which connects by a pivot, fl', with the slide c,and which oscillates on the center-pin aA ot' the conveyor. lf the slider moves in the direction ot' the arrow marked on it in said ligure, andthe dog` c* is caused to take a t'resh tooth ot' the con volver, saidconveyor will be prevented from turning in that diret-tion b v thestop-pawl y; but when the slide c moves` in the direction opposite thearrow' marked on it in Fig. l the plate I) and conveyor move togethert'or the distance of one tooth ot" said conveyer. By this combinedmotion ol' the plate and conveycr the holes I1 in the conveyor arebrought, successivebv over a segmental aperture, c', in the plate 1),and the cap in each hole is per mitted to drop down into each segmentalaperture, where it is retained by aspri1.1g7". The outer end ot' thisspring is rounded to conform to the shape ofthe caps, and it closes uptight against a semicircular recess, ft, in the edge ot' the segmentalaperture c'. If the plate 1) is turned in the direction ol' the arrowmarked on it in Fig. 1 the spring f (which is secured to it) strikes apin, r/, which rises from a stationanvY bracket, It', that is trmlvattached to the frame A below the plate I). liv the action ot' said pinthe spring' is thrown open, so as to admit the cap from 011e ot' theholes p in the conveyor, and the cap thus admitted lodges in thesemicircular recess f*, the bracket It' preventing it from i'allinglclear down. It the plate 1') moves back in the direction opposite thearrow marked on it the spring j" closes up and clamps the cap before thesame is swept otl of the bracket 11,', and retains it until the plungerb descends and forces the same into the trim1niug-dies E.

'lhesc trimming-dies are secured to thc lop end ot'a vertical arbor, 1",which has` its bearing in an arln, j', extending I'roni thiI l`r.11n|xrapid rota1 \v motion is im|1a1tml to .said arbor blv a bell. 1.. whiricxtindsv t'ronl a large pnllev, l', on Ihc drivingvshal't o\tr a .smallpullcv, m', on said arbor i', as show n particuA larllv in Fig. .'5.sprin,;,1l, embraces thc trimming-diesand closisthcni |1|1..\o that thcvwill clamp tlnl caps t'orced in hetnet-n tht-1h by the action o1' thcplunger l1'.

llach cap whihl heine' clamped between tlm trimming-dies is acted upon bv thc trinnnint,lknife l which is secured to a reciprocalint; carriageor rest, (l, and which moves grada all)v up toward the renter ol' thcarboril and ol' the trinnningdies.

The motion ot' the carriage (l is produced by the combined action ot" aspring, o', and cam p', said springl being used to keep a rollerstud,q', which rises t`ro1nthc carriage, in close contact with theworking-tace ot' the earn. This cam may, however, be so arranged that itimparts to lthe carriage a positive motion in cit-her direction, and inthat case the spring n can be dispensed with.

The cam p is mounted 011 the lower end of the shal't q', which passesthrough the hollow shaftI t, and to which a` slow revolvin motion isimparted by a bevel-gear, s' t', the bevelgear s being` mounted on thehorizontal shaft. o, or connected to the bevel-wheel 11, which has beenpreviously described. lli' this Aslow motion imparted to the cam p theknit'e F is made to advance quite slowl)v against the rapidly-revolvingcap in the trimming-dies. and thc edge thereof cut down until it islevel.

The cutting-edge ot' the knife is inclined upward, so that its pointsbegin to take action on the highest part ot' the edge ofthe cap, amlsaid edge is ,raduallxv cut down, producing a smooth and well-finishedarticle. Each cap, at'- tcr having been trinnned, drops down through thehollow arbor i', being pushed out ot' the trimming-dies by the nextsucceedhrgl cap.

B5' this machine a very larg(l qnantit)- ot' percussion-caps can betrimmed or milled in a ver)Y short time, and with comparatively littletrouble or loss of time.

ifVhat we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The feed-plate C, (one or more,) provided with a series ot'feed-holes, h, which are arranged in curved lines to correspond to theposition of the holes b in the conveyor B, and operating, incombinationwith said conveyor, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The revolving eonveyer B, n1 combination with the plunger b',trinnuingdies E, and knife F, constructed and operating substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

3. The supporting-plate 1) and spring j", in combination with theconveyor B, constructed and operating,l substantially as and for thepurpose described.

4. The stationary bracket h' aud pin g', iu

combinntion with the springf, supportingpintc l), :ind conveyor B,constructed :ind 0p @rating snmtnntiniiy :is :ind for the purpose sutforth.

5. Tim ruuiprmzziting slide r mid 410g; (5*, in onnihinntinn with thesupporting-pinta I) and conveyer B, constructed andoperatingsubstantially :is :1nd for thv purpose described.

li. The revolving trimniingwies E und ulznnpings]ring uit, incombination with the rwiprncntinV knife li',const1ncted and 0pm atingAsubstantinlbv as :nld for the pnrpnso` svt forth.

7. Giving tu tin cntlingmlgc of tlm tri|nming-knife :1nnp\\'n1dlyinulincdpnsitimnsnlr lQtnntinlly :is :nifl for tim pnrpnsndusrriinwl.

JAMES il. I"()\\`Ll ]ll. A. J. FRICNUII.

fitnessesz (ILnolm t'. HILL, AMOS S. BLAKE.

